There are many claims made for the benefits of aloe vera, a succulent plant native to northern Africa. The plant has supporters all over the world and is a common sight on the shelves in health food stores.  Aloe Vera has many properties including antibiotic, astringent, coagulating agent, pain inhibitor, cell growth stimulator and scar inhibitor. Numerous studies show that it is great for treating and curing skin conditions and delaying the onset of wrinkles. Research also suggests that it contains around 200 healing substances – including most vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and amino acids – and that using aloe vera is a great way to boost your health and wellbeing.

Skin conditions are said to improve when treated with clear gel taken from the aloe vera leaf, such as eczema. Cuts and burns are treated too resulting in reduced inflammation and pain. It is said that the gel boosts the immune system. The sap, which is at the base of the leaf, is used to treat digestive disorders, chronic constipation and low appetite.

The Indian sub continent promotes the plant and it is part of the culture there. In Pakistan, the benefits of aloe vera have been recognised for hundreds of years. People routinely take a mixture of aloe vera and herbal seeds after meals if they suffer from indigestion. The people of the Hazara region in Pakistan believe that the nutrient value found in the gel gives them more stamina. In addition to medicine and food, aloe vera is often used in products such as shampoo, moisturisers, soaps and sunscreen. This is because of the benefits of aloe vera in preventing dry skin and scalp.

There are numerous aloe vera products on the market, including creams for skin problems and heat lotions for aching muscles. Aloe Vera is also sold as a nutritional supplement, blended with other vitamins, minerals and herb, such as ginseng, reishi mushroom, ginger oil, turmeric and folic acid. Enthusiasts can also take aloe vera in the form of a drink, blended with fruits such as apples, cranberries, pomegranates, peaches, grape seed and blackberry. Drinking two to four ounces a day is all that is required to gain the many benefits of aloe vera juice. If you drink it daily, aloe vera can aid your digestion, improve your metabolism (fat burning) and help detoxify your body and cleanse your colon.

Perhaps, one of the most valuable health benefits for today’s society is aloe vera’s ability to assist weight loss. Throughout history aloe vera has been associated with achieving healthy body weight and it has been known as “the dietary plant” and “the harmony remedy.” This is because aloe vera works to both reduce and stabilise weight by stimulating metabolic rate so that we burn more energy. In addition, aloe vera contains amino acids, methionine, serine threonine and molybdenum, which work together to detoxify heavy metals and additionally aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein. This action prevents a build up of fat in the liver and the arteries. These detoxification and laxative qualities of aloe vera, improve the efficiency of the colon, which is extremely important for good health. Poor colon health results in the re-absorption of toxins into the human body resulting in low energy and un-wellness.

Another of the most important health benefits of aloe vera is its operation as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent, helping to prevent the onset of disease in the body. Thus, taking aloe vera daily helps to maintain good health and provide a sense of wellbeing and energy.

Aloe vera juice can contain nineteen amino acids, twenty minerals and twelve vitamins and as such it is in my opinion an excellent, natural nutritional supplement. But beware; you need to choose the juice carefully as many are preserved with benzoates or benzoic acid which you definitely want to avoid.  Research has shown that sodium benzoate can damage DNA in the mitochondria causing the cell to malfunction.  When mixed with vitamin C, sodium benzoate forms benzene, a carcinogenic substance.  You can also get liquid aloe vera in capsule form which avoids the need for a preservative (see the Resources Page).

 

A team of American researchers have shown that people who take photographs of their meals stick more carefully to their healthy eating plan than those who do not take a photo. It seems that with pictorial evidence of what they are eating, people are more aware of the quality and quantity of what they put on their plate.

Food diaries – where daily consumption is recorded in a notebook – is often recommended to help people avoid overeating and snacking on unhealthy foods. Past studies have shown that dieters who write down what they eat lose more weight than those who simply try to eat more healthily. In one University of Pennsylvania study dieters were given a healthy eating plan and told to exercise for 30 minutes a day and monitored for a year. Those who kept a faithful note of what they ate lost around 16 to 19 pounds but those who did not keep a diary lost only 6 pounds on average.

 

Writing down what you eat is clearly an effective self-help tool if you have weight to lose, but this latest research published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies clearly shows that photo diaries may be a more accurate, effective and powerful way to avoid unhealthy eating. This may be because written diaries are often completed long after a meal and do not provide as powerful a reminder of the size and quality of the meals and snacks as a photo. Overall this latest study has revealed that dieters demonstrate greater awareness of their diet when they take and then look at the photos of what they have eaten than when they reflect on their written notes.

Don’t Let Your Diet Fail: Ten Common Mistakes Women Make

A recent study interviewed thousands of overweight people and asked them about their eating and exercise habits. What was fascinating about the study is that the great majority said they thought they were eating healthily and exercising regularly but even though they appeared to be doing all the right things they were still overweight. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Many of the women I see at my clinic with weight problems believe they are on track, but when I take a closer look at their diet and lifestyle I almost always find areas of concern. Even the most well intentioned dieter can unwittingly sabotage her efforts so here are the ten most common diet mistakes that I have encountered time and time again with advice on how you can fix them, simply and easily.

Diet mistake number 1: Crumbs don’t count

 

Many women eat healthy meals and snacks but they forget about the mindless munching they do at other times, for instance, the food left on the children’s plate, the chips on their partner’s plate, the broken biscuit left over after a cuppa or in the tin or the taste testing and glass or wine during cooking. Four bites a day is 100 extra calories. In a month’s time, that’s nearly a pound of extra weight.  Mindless munching is a habit and like any habit it can be broken. Eat only at meal times and snack times and if you get the urge to eat at other times graze on fruit or vegetables. If you’re tempted to nibble when you cook have a cup of peppermint tea – it can be unpleasant nibbling on food with the taste of peppermint in your mouth.

Diet mistake number 2: Skipping breakfast

Most women know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it gets your metabolism going, keeps your blood sugar levels balanced and stops you reaching for sugary snacks mid morning. But despite knowing that ‘fat people skip breakfast’ many women continue to skip breakfast in the misguided belief it will earn them extra calories later in the day. Therefore one of the most important healthy eating habits I try to instil into my patients is to eat a healthy breakfast every morning and never to skip meals. Study after study has shown that breakfast eaters are more alert and less likely to overeat during the day. You don’t need to eat traditional breakfast foods but you do need to eat foods that are healthy and good for you. Studies have also shown that people who skip meals are more likely to gain weight because their metabolism slows right down and their blood sugar is unstable which triggers food cravings. So keep your metabolism boosted and your blood sugar levels stable every day by eating a hearty breakfast, followed by a healthy mid morning snack, lunch, and mid afternoon snack and rounded up with a light supper.

Diet mistake number 3: Taking weekends off

Many of my patients with weight issues tend to eat healthily during the working week but then when the weekend comes they switch off and unwind. Switching off and unwinding at the weekend is highly recommended but this does not have to mean eating too much of the wrong foods. If your healthy eating plan is enjoyable there should be no reason at all why you need a break at the weekends. I always stress to my patients that healthy eating is not a diet as such – in that it begins on a certain date and ends when you reach a certain weight – but a lifelong commitment to eating food that will boost your health and well being and keep the weight off in the long term. Every day is as important as the other and your healthy eating plan should not be about sacrifice and guilt. You can include treats and favourite foods in your diet – you just need to make sure you fit them in healthily. That’s why I recommend the 80/20 rule. If you’re eating healthily the majority of the time you can afford the odd indulgence now and again.

Diet mistake number 4: Liquid calories

What you drink during the day counts towards your daily calorie intake in the same way as the food you eat. If you’re drinking just one sugary drink a day this can pack on 15 pounds in a year so you need to make sure you are drinking liquids that are low or no calorie beverages. And if you’re a fan of speciality coffees, with a lot of milk and syrups, you need to be aware that some mugs can pack a massive 400 calories so you need to decide if it really is worth it. Switch fancy coffees for refreshing herbal teas and sugary soft drinks for water and diluted fresh fruit juice.

Diet mistake number 5: Shopping in a hurry

If you’re hungry there is one place you should never go and that is to your supermarket. Shopping when you’re hungry makes you more likely to fill your basket with junk and high calorie food. To avoid this make sure you have a healthy snack before you go shopping and prepare a shopping list. Alternatively you could skip the checkout and go online as you are more likely to stick to your list.

Diet mistake number 6: Overtime

According to a study in the International Journal of Obesity women who work more than 40 hours a week are more likely to gain weight during the year that those who leave work earlier. The reason for this is a combination of fatigue and stress. If you are tired and stressed from working long hours you are less inclined to exercise and more likely to reach for sugary, fatty snacks to give you a boost. In addition, women’s bodies are programmed to cling onto fat, especially around the middle, when they experience high levels of stress. If overtime is essential or stress is unavoidable take regular mood lifting breaks. Find out what times during the day you are most likely to hit a slump and then do something playful or soothing to produce feel good hormones that can beat stress. You could listen to your favourite music on your Ipod, phone a friend or better still, do some exercise or gentle toning.

Diet mistake number 7: Rewarding yourself after a workout

If you exercise regularly every day or every few days you deserve a pat on the back as this is a vital step towards a healthy lifestyle and a trim body to match but if you celebrate with a bar of ‘well deserved’ chocolate every time you work out you are making a big mistake. A study from the University of Ottawa revealed that women ate about 120 more calories following intense exercise than after a lighter workout that burned the same calories. If you feel that you need a treat every time you exercise it is important to take a look at your workout routine as it is likely that your workout is too tough or intense. What you need to be aiming for is a moderate to light workout that makes you feel so good afterwards that you don’t feel the need to eat anything unhealthy. Jogging, brisk walking and dancing are all great activities to boost your mood and keep hunger at bay and if you do feel hungry afterwards treat yourself with some fresh fruit and a handful of nuts and seeds.

Diet mistake number 8: E-mail addiction

These days it is virtually impossible not to spend a large portion of your day in front of the computer.  Try to avoid entire days when you are sedentary and slip movement into your day as much as you can. Stand up when you’re talking on the phone, and deliver at least five messages a day in person. You can use up to 100 calories daily this way which can help burn off nearly a pound each month.

Diet mistake number 9: Comfy clothes

When you start shopping for elastic waist bands and comfy baggy clothes you need to take extra care because it is so easy to miss the cues that you are putting on weight when you wear clothes like this. I sometimes tell my patients to ditch their baggy clothes and wear their favourite pair of tighter fitting jeans at the weekends – the days most women tend to eat more. And once they have dropped a size I urge them to give their larger clothes away to a charity shop so they won’t be tempted to reach for them again.

Diet mistake number 10: Rapid eating

 

Many women today are so busy that they never actually sit down and take their time over a meal. Instead they race to the finish and eat so rapidly their digestive system doesn’t stand a chance. It is really important for us all to carve time into the day for a more leisurely, Mediterranean approach to eating where every bite is savoured, tasted and chewed over. Taking time over your meals gives your brain the signal for fullness it needs to prevent overeating.